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HOT artistic director Henry Akina serves as stage director, and fashion designer Anne Namba joined the team as costume designer. Her inspiration for the costumes included Harajuku girls, yakuza and anime for the main characters, and obon dancers, sushi chefs, karate fighters, Japanese tourists, more Harajuku girls and marathon runners for the chorus.

“It’s a new, modern-day version of The Mikado,” explains Namba. “Coming up with the concept of the characters and how to make modern-day Japanese stereotypes, that was fun trying to figure it all out and then transpose it to looks.”

Namba has worked on three other productions with HOT, and will return again as costume designer for Madam Butterfly in October.

Here’s a sneak peek at the costumes worn by the soloists of The Mikado. Tickets to The Mikado start at $29. For more information, visit HawaiiOpera.org or call the HOT Box Office at 596-7858.